This rendering shows what St. Francis Cottage Bed and Breakfast will look like when completed in early 2017.Known for its department stores, popular chain restaurants and all the traffic that comes with being one of the most rapidly growing areas of Hamilton County, East Brainerd at a glance might not sound like the place for a tranquil home-away-from-home experience. However, Wallace and Nancy Braud are planning on changing that.
Tucked away in a less developed part of East Brainerd is what Nancy Braud describes as a mini farm in the woods. This five-acre tract of land, which the Brauds have called home since 1987, will soon include St. Francis Bed and Breakfast, named after the current pope because of his attitude of servanthood.
The couple said they want to provide a warm and comfortable setting for guests in their seven-bedroom bed-and-breakfast, which they plan on opening sometime in the spring of 2017.
“We are going to decorate in a very urban cottage style with little rustic features – barn wood and things like that. So a very light, airy, simple atmosphere,” Nancy Braud said.
The Brauds have been mulling the idea for a good 15 years. They said they originally began considering opening a bed-and-breakfast because they both felt it would be a good way to combine their talents and work together during retirement.
Wallace Braud has worked in video production for the past 37 years, currently working from home with his business Wallace Braud Production Services. Nancy Braud works for The Hutton Co. as a commercial real estate paralegal.
“Wallace is extremely right-brained and artistic and tech savvy, and I’m totally left-brained,” she said. “We think that we can use what we’ve both done for many years to provide a welcoming place for guests.”
Organic gardening will play an important role in the bed-and-breakfast, both aesthetically and in the B&B’s cuisine. Nancy said she plans on using a lot of organic foods in her breakfasts for guests in order to provide healthy, home-style options.
“It will be a full sit-down breakfast, from certain types of eggs Benedict to a more healthy style of French toast, some hashes; a very eclectic group of options in food,” she said.
Because of the bed-and-breakfast’s easy access to the interstate, guests will have much of the Chattanooga area at their fingertips, with Hamilton Place a mile away, downtown 10 miles away and other areas within short driving distance.
The Brauds have put a lot of time and effort into launching their new business venture, and said it has been good to see their work pay off after breaking ground in May of this year.
“It’s been somewhat of a scary venture in some respects, but we’re very excited about it. We’ve really tried to do our homework and learn, and now, watching the walls go up, we’re very excited,” Wallace Braud said.
St. Francis Cottage Bed and Breakfast will be located at 1329 Gunbarrel Road. To contact the Brauds for more information, call 827-4711 or 400-4177.